News - DFI showcases BIOSecure technology, takes the worry out of BIOS updates

[HEXUS]

The simplest ideas are often the best, and DFI's BIOSecure looks to be a good one.

Read more.

[aidanjt]

How's this any better than Gigabytes DualBIOS method? Also, I'd have put the mini-USB slot on the motherboard instead of the I/O ports. It's not as if BIOS updates are a daily occurrence.

[kalniel]

How's this any better than Gigabytes DualBIOS method?

Say you insert a component that isn't supported by either BIOS in the DualBIOS, how do you recover?

This DFI is neat because it's a way for you to recover from an unbootable problem.

Likewise it gives home support a way to flash to defaults without having to open up the case, which saves time, space and inconvienience for the user.

[Funkstar]

Actually this does sound really good. I like it.

Would have solved Arthurleung's problem with a new Shuttle system he built. The BIOS didn't support the newest CPU he bought for it, and didn't have an older one to boot with to flash the BIOS.

[aidanjt]

Say you insert a component that isn't supported by either BIOS in the DualBIOS, how do you recover?

By removing said component, and flashing. I thought that'd be obvious?

[Funkstar]

By removing said component, and flashing. I thought that'd be obvious?

See above

It's an issue when the component is the CPU

[Irien]

In response to the Shuttle comment above, speaking as someone who does a fair few shuttles, generally speaking if you drop a more recent CPU (of roughly similar architecture), it will fire up OK. The problem tends to be that it defaults to the wrong bus speed and/or multiplier giving an incorrect overall clock speed. If it gets the bus speed too high (not common), you'll need good RAM to cope with the "overclock". Other than that, a manual correction should sort it out. I routinely use recent CPUs in Shuttles with older BIOSes, and only upgrade them if I see any problems (eg. if speedstep isn't working) - had too many screwed up BIOS flashes to do it routinely if it isn't needed.

Of course, the latter problem should be fixed by this new technology, and for that DFI need big cheers!

[aidanjt]

See above

It's an issue when the component is the CPU

That might be an issue with a board that's two or three years old. But it's not very common, really. This method also assumes that the user has a laptop laying around with Windows installed. It looks like an engineering solution which solves a problem <20% of users face <20% of the time. A better idea, I think, would be to use an existing USB port to take a thumb stick and load a BIOS image off that with some kind of button combination when powering up.

[shaffaaf27]

why are people AGAINST this idea though? every little helps

does the new mobo not remind you of an asus?

[shaithis]

Lets hope the idea becomes a standard practice.

Absolutely great idea, although having a clip-on bios with USB port may be better, so you could just pop it off the board and onto the end of a USB cable for flashing.